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Healthy cooking on a college student's budgetSun, 18 Feb 2018 06:43:12 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngsmcoatshttps://smcoats.wordpress.com
Post Number Onehttps://smcoats.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/post-number-one/
https://smcoats.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/post-number-one/#respondSat, 23 Mar 2013 01:57:17 +0000http://smcoats.wordpress.com/?p=125Throughout any day I find myself often searching a variety of different news mediums to find out what is going on locally, nationally and world wide. From Twitter to CNN.com and even a little bit of Reddit mixed in there, I consume all sorts of different types of news.

For Arizona news I often turn to azcentral.com because I like to be able to go to each of the city sub headings and see what is going on in each area. I do trust azcentral.com because they are a credible news source, I have not seen many corrections made and it seems pretty objective from the articles I have read. Sometimes I will go to valley news organizations websites such as CBS5.com and ABC15.com, however I mostly stick to azcentral.com because I honestly prefer their websites organization better than the other state news websites.

I also use Twitter quite often throughout the day, and this medium helps me to follow all of the state news organizations so I don’t have to go to their websites and skim through a bunch of article titles to find out what is going on. In 44 characters news organizations can give me latest headlines, which is very convenient. I can just skim through their tweets, and click on the linked articles if I am really interested in the story. I would say that Twitter is where I get most of my local/national/world wide news because it’s quick, simple and to the point. For example while I was writing this post, I saw an ABC15 breaking news tweet that said: “@UofA there’s a report of a man with a rifle in the administration bldg. UAPD is on the scene. Please stay away from the area.” Just by reading that tweet, I texted some of my friends who attend U of A to make sure they were aware of the incident. This news outlet is such a powerful tool because it is immediate, and that is why I chose to use Twitter. I trust the news sources I follow on Twitter, such as Arizona Newsnet. However I am still very cautious if I do read a piece of news that comes from a different outlet on Twitter to ensure I’m not getting the wrong information.

For entertainment I go to sites like Reddit, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too sometimes. Reddit has all kinds of video (that link to Youtube), photos, articles, AMA (ask me anything posts from celebrities/politicians/interesting people, and links. This website is geared by “redditers” so any information that is news worthy, I am sometimes hesitant about. But the reason I enjoy this website is because often this is where CNN will find original videos, photos or interesting stories. I am cautious about the information I receive, but for example a few weeks ago there was a meteorite hit Russia and people who caught it on tape posted it to Reddit, then hours later CNN tweeted the same video.

I keep up on news, and don’t think I am missing out on too much. I follow hard news, sports and entertainment organizations on Twitter so I try be in the loop about what is going on. I really do care about what’s going on around me and I guess that’s what makes me a news junkie, and one reason why I want to become a reporter.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! My family has an annual Halloween dinner and pumpkin carving contest, so this year I decided that I could bring some tasty treats to the feast! My mother always makes a delicious corn salsa and pairs it with a guacamole, so I took the recipe and switched it out with some low fat ingredients to make them a little healthier and more guilt free. They ended up being pretty successful, as there were zero leftovers at the end of the night. They were simple recipes that anyone could make for any kind of party or event.

Guacamole:

What you’ll need:

1 medium avocado, ripe, peeled and pitted

1 15-oz. can young peas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped tomatillos

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1/3 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup Labane Yogurt Cheese* or fat-free plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp lime juice

4 cloves chopped garlic

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

– salt and pepper to taste

Zesty guacamole!

Directions:

Put peas in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add in avocado and mash that into the peas until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day.

I had lucked out this time! When I arrived to my parents house, the fridge was fully stocked and the pantry was over flowing with everything I needed for my recipes. My mother ensured however, that she bought everything at wal mart- and it was definitely within a college students budget!

I have been into a lot of pasta lately and so I wanted to try the classic fettucini alfredo dish. It was surprisingly easy to make and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a simple recipe that is filling and tasty!

What the recipe calls for:

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup fat free milk

1/4 cup fat free cream cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup broccoli

4 cups of hot cooked fettucini noodles

Delicious!

Directions:

Heat a medium nonstick saucepan over medium low, melt the margarine. Whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese and Parmesan; cook, stirring, until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook broccoli in boiling water. Cover until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the back of the box. In a large bowl, combine the pasta and broccoli. Add the cheese sauce; toss to coat thoroughly.

I went to the super Wal Mart and found a box of precooked fettucini noodles for only $3.15, and then I bought a bag of broccoli for $4.75. I already had the flour, milk, margarine and parmesan cheese as well. I had a splurge a little on the small tub of fat free cream cheese, which cost me $5.80. But for what it was worth I was able to eat the leftovers for three nights, and I only spent about $14.00!

I went home to my parents house this weekend and decided to cook for my family. I wanted to show them my new cooking capabilities and impress them with a delicious meal! I opted for a dish that would be fairly easy however serve a lot of hungry stomaches (8 people to be exact) and still maintain nutritional value. My sister suggested spaghetti and meatballs, but since I do not eat red meat I decided to switch up the recipe and add turkey meatballs instead of beef. It wasn’t too bad, and everyone seemed pleased by the dinner, considering there wasn’t any leftovers!

What the recipe calls for:

1 pound 99% fat free ground turkey

1 slice wholewheat bread, made into crumbs

1/4 cup fat freemilk

1 egg white

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp dried oregano

ground black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

* This recipe only serves 4, so I doubled most of the ingredients to serve all 8 family members.

Perfect inexpensive meal for a big family!

Directions:

Place ground turkey in a bowl with bread crumbs, milk, egg white, cheese, oregano and pepper. Combine thoroughly. Without handling the meat too roughly, shape the mixture into 12 evenly sized meatballs. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add meatballs and cook over a medium heat until meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook spaghetti according to instructions on package. While the spaghetti is cooking, uncover the skillet with the meatballs and tomatoes, and continue to simmer until the pot of spaghetti is ready.

I was fortunate to be using my parent’s kitchen so the only ingredients that I had to go out and buy were the turkey meat, crushed tomatoes and spaghetti noodles. I found Jennie-O brand 99% fat free ground turkey meat at a Super Walmart for only $2.00 per lb. The 28 once can of crushed tomatoes was only $3.25 and the thin spaghetti noodles were also on sale for $3.75 a box! This was a great inexpensive meal that only cost me about $11.00!

I had one of my best friends stay with me over the weekend, and we decided that we wanted to stay in and cook dinner instead of going out to eat and spending a lot of money. After searching for some tasty recipes she stumbled upon a low fat grilled chicken recipe that her sister had recommended. It was a simple recipe and the pizza turned out delicious! I ended with a lot of left over ingredients and ended up making it again two more nights!

What the recipe calls for:

1 lb prepared whole wheat pizza dough

2 ounces chopped chicken breast

1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes

1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

The perfect pizza recipe for a beginner cook!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about the size of the baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick skillet with nonfat cooking spray and place over medium heat.Add onion, chicken and crushed green pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the crust and top with mozzarella and goat cheese. Bake until crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with Roma tomato.

Nutrition:

Calories: 275 • Fat: 6 g • Protein: 15 g • Carb: 30 g • Fiber: 2 g

Steals & Deals

Chicken breast was on sale again at Safeway Grocery Store for $1.69 lb. Then I found the Walmart brand True Value pizza dough for only $2.89, Roma tomatoes for $3.99 and goat cheese for $4.12 at Walmart as well. I already had a purple onion along with the mozzarella cheese. So this great pizza only cost me about $14.00, however I was able to make two other nights and I still have left over ingredients to make more!

I was looking for a classic dish to make, and decided on macaroni and cheese. This meal is usually very high in fat, so I replaced the high fat ingredients for ones that had less calories and less carbs. By substituting these items, my dinner was a little less cheesy, but it still tasted great and I didn’t feel guilty after eating a bunch of it! I ended up adding salt and pepper for a little more taste, and it finished off the recipe perfectly!

What the recipe calls for:

2 packages of 0 calories Miracle Noodle Rigatoni Pasta

1 tbsp light butter

1/8 cup fat free skim milk

1/4 cup cheese powder

Salt and pepper for taste

Perfect with some salt and pepper!

Directions:

Drain and Rinse your noodles very well. Pat noodles as dry as possible with paper towels. It’ super important to get the noodles as try as you can! Microwave your noodles for about 2 minutes on high. Transfer noodles to a medium sized sauce pan and turn on medium heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Add in cheese powder and milk, and stir until cheese has fully dissolved. Serve warm.

Nutrition:

Calories: 270 • Fat: 2 g • Protein: 11 g • Carb: 52 g • Fiber: 2 g

Steals & Deals:

I found the Miracle Noodles at Trader Joe’s Market on the “must sale” rack for only $2.25 for a small package. They’re usually $8-$12 each, so I was very lucky! I bought a 1lb tub of light margarine $3.15, along with cheese powder for $1.70. I already had slim milk, so altogether this meal cost $7.65! It lasted for three nights, and was very yummy!

Here is a great snack that is guilt free and taste delicious! I received this recipe from The Skinny Kitchen website, and I have made it multiple times now. It’s the perfect late night snack that is easy to prepare, it’s sweet and salty and a great dish to share with friends!

What the recipe calls for:

¼ vegetable oil (do not use olive oil for this recipe)

¼ cup white sugar

2 tablespoons water

⅔ cup un-popped white or yellow popcorn kernels

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Perfect late night snack!

Directions:

In a large, deep nonstick pot add the oil, sugar, water and popcorn. Mix together until all kernels are coated. Shake to spread out over pan. Cover and heat on medium-high heat. Shake the pan often to keep the sugar from burning. Once the popping has started, shake pan continuously until all kernels have slowed to once every 2-3 seconds.Remove the pan from the heat and continue to shake until the popping has stopped. Pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

Nutrition:

Calories: 125 • Fat: 7 g • Protein: 1 g • Carb: 14 g • Fiber: 1 g

Steals and Deals:

I bought the vegetable oil for $4.25 at the Safeway Grocery Store, along with a bag of un-popped kernels for only $2.75. The salt and sugar I already had, so this snack that lasts for weeks only cost me $6.50!

For my boyfriend’s birthday, I decided I would attempt to grill him dinner instead of making one of my smaller portioned meals. I chose to make grilled lemon breast chicken, which took about 35 minutes to cook; however it was an extremely simple recipe. I found the recipe idea from the website, allrecipes.com. I paired the chicken breasts with corn on the cob, potato slices and grilled veggies. It was a perfect meal for two, and unfortunately there wasn’t any leftovers. Next time I would grill a couple more breasts that way I can save them for other meals.

What the recipe calls for:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1/2 a teaspoon of onion powder

salt and pepper for taste

Perfect dinner for two!

Directions:

Preheat grill for medium to high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Dip chicken breast into the lemon juice, sprinkle the onion powder and add salt and pepper. Cook on the grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side. Make sure the meat is notpink and the juices run clear before you serve.

I bought the chicken breasts on sale with a $1.00 off coupon at Safeway Grocery Store for $1.69 per pound for boneless skinless chicken breast, 4 pounds per bag. The corn on the cob was also on sale for only .10 cents a piece! I bought two small baked potatoes for .79 cents each. The veggies I already had, as well as the lemon juice. I stopped into Walmart and bought a small bottle of onion powder $1.29. It’s super easy to find deals if you just search for weekly ads and you know exactly what you are looking for, that way you do not buy any unnecessary items.